


it's a lovely morning in the castle, and you are a horrible magic goose

by miraculousmultifan



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Cuddling & Snuggling, Good Morgana (Merlin), M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin decides to cause problems on purpose, Merlin is a very affectionate goose, Morgana Knows about Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, how did i manage to fit cliche tropes into a fic about a magical goose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousmultifan/pseuds/miraculousmultifan
Summary: So there they were... Arthur cradling Merlin, a goose, while he trudged up the stairs to his chambers. Merlin gave an exasperated honk. How did he manage to continue getting into situations like these?***Inspired by this post on tumblr: “Concept: fairy tale where the wicked step-parent (who is of course also some sort of warlock) transforms the princess into a swan, as one does, but rather than running off to mope around in a lake and be beautifully tragic, the princess decides to stick around the palace and cause problems on purpose.”
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 407





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChernobylCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChernobylCat/gifts).



> i can't believe my longest fic is about goose shenanigans, but honestly... i'm here for it. yes i did watch a bunch of Untitled Goose Game playthroughs for "research"... what about it?

Merlin should’ve figured this sort of thing would happen. It had been a lovely morning. He had woken up early, grabbed Arthur’s still-warm breakfast, and marched up the stairs to wake up his prince. Arthur had even pretended not to notice Merlin stealing a sausage or two from his plate. So the day had been going great, which obviously meant that something had to go wrong.

He had rushed Arthur to the meeting with the king, his ward, and the council as quickly as possible, but before it could really begin, the doors to the throne room had swung open to reveal an old lady dressed in delicate robes holding a staff with a glowing orb at the top.

“Uther Pendragon, your crimes against magic will not be forgiven. You have punished innocents because of the hatred and bitterness that crowds your heart. You deserve to face the consequences of the decades of pain that you have caused my people. Arthur will be lost to you unless you can learn to accept magic and show your people love and compassion.” The sorceress had lifted her staff pointing the orb directly at Arthur, screaming the incantation.

“Arthur!”

Merlin had immediately pushed Arthur out of the way and felt the spell begin to take effect. He started to shrink while his bones shifted and ached. Across the room, the guards restrained the growling sorceress that was lunging towards Merlin. Arthur had quickly pushed himself up from the ground only to see a goose in Merlin’s place. He ran forward and scooped the goose into his arms. The goose had trembled before letting out a nervous honk and ducking his head into Arthur’s chest.

“Take this fool out of my sight. She will be burned on the pyre tomorrow morning. Arthur, you are dismissed. Take that goose out to the woods.” Uther had waved his hand, unimpressed with the swift turn of events that had just unfolded before his eyes.

“Father, forgive me, but this isn’t just _some_ goose. This is Merlin. That witch turned my manservant into a goose. I’m not just going to leave him out in the forest to die!” Arthur had said, snuggling Goose-Merlin even closer to his chest.

“Fine,” Uther had scoffed, “I don’t care what you do with it. Just get it out of here.”

So there they were... Arthur cradling Merlin, a goose, while he trudged up the stairs to his chambers. Merlin gave an exasperated honk. How did he manage to continue getting into situations like these?

“I can’t believe I have to get a new manservant now. I don’t think I’ll be able to deal with George’s brass-polishing jokes for longer than a couple of days.” Arthur pushed open the door and walked over to his bed to set Merlin down onto his fluffy pillow. Merlin honked again, eyes bright, as he bumped his head against Arthur’s arm. Arthur took a seat on the bed next to Merlin and gave his head an affectionate pat. 

“Of course, you would probably prefer being in a lake or pond now, huh? That will certainly be unpleasant for me because I’m not sure I’m ready to let you go yet. I guess I’m just holding out hope that you’re still in there. Somewhere…” Arthur said dejectedly, stroking Merlin’s head. Merlin’s tiny eyes widened as he comprehended Arthur’s words.

Merlin jumped from the pillow and flapped around until he was standing on Arthur’s lap. He stared into Arthur’s eyes, trying as hard as he could to convey to Arthur that he was right there, fully cognizant. He gave a confident and meaningful honk that he hoped Arthur could realize meant, _“Of course I’m still here. I would never leave you. Don’t send me to some stupid lake, you prat!”_

Arthur stared back, his eyes gradually widening until, “Merlin?! You’re truly in there? Well… I suppose I should stop petting you, then.” Merlin gave an indignant honk and nipped at the hand that Arthur was attempting to pull away. They really had to figure out a better way of communicating.

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll keep petting you, you ungrateful idiot, but we are getting you to Gaius first thing in the morning. There has to be a better way for us to communicate…” Arthur trailed off, staring at the wall in thought. Merlin gazed up at him fondly for a second before tucking his head under his wings and cuddling into Arthur’s chest, relaxing beneath his soft touches.

Arthur eventually got up to get dressed for bed before slipping under his blankets to sleep. Merlin stood up from his spot on Arthur’s spare pillow to tuck himself against Arthur’s chest and let out a soft snuffle. Arthur smiled to himself, closing his eyes and resting a hand on Merlin’s back, ruffling his feathers the slightest bit.

The next morning, after dressing himself again, Arthur scooped a sleeping Merlin into his arms and headed straight to Gaius’s chambers.

“Gaius!” Arthur slammed the door to the physician’s chambers open.

Gaius huffed at his work table before turning to fix Arthur with an obviously fake smile. “Sire. How lovely to see you. Is there a reason for your unannounced visit and brutish forcefulness with my door?”

The tips of Arthur’s ears turned pink as he looked back to the door before he shook it off. The prince pressed on, pacing back and forth in front of Gaius, still clutching Merlin close to his chest. “This is an emergency! My father wants me to send him away, but if there’s any way to turn him back to my- er, back to Merlin, I can’t just leave him! He means a lot to me, although my father may resent it, so I could never abandon him in some lake,” Arthur spoke, gradually getting louder as he got more riled up.

“Sire… I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about. Also, is that a goose you’re cradling?”

“I am not _cradling_ him! I am simply holding him,” Arthur protested, louder than was really necessary. After hearing a grumpy snuffle from Merlin, he stopped, giving the soft, black feathers on his head a ruffle. “And be quiet, Gaius. You’re going to wake him up.”

“Of course, sire. _I_ will lower my voice, _my_ apologies. We wouldn’t want the goose you have adopted out of nowhere to be grumpy.”

“What do you mean the goose I adopted? This is _Mer_ lin.” Arthur rolled his eyes as if Gaius was being intentionally dense.

“Of course. Now, what was it you are really in here for, my lord?”

“Well, we can’t really communicate all that well, what with Merlin being a goose and all, so I was wondering if you had a potion or something that could help? Like a mind link or something?”

“You want me to help you create a mental link between yourself and… a goose?” Gaius was starting to become very exhausted listening to Arthur prattle on about this goose.

“For the last time, Gaius! This isn’t just some goose! It’s Merlin!” Arthur shouted, throwing up his free hand in exasperation. Merlin let out a bleary honk, lifting his head from Arthur’s shoulder. “Ah, Merlin! You’re finally awake. Do you mind explaining to Gaius what happened?”

Merlin flapped his wings for Arthur to let him down before waddling over to Gaius and honking at him.

“Yes… You seem to have trained your goose very well, sire.” Merlin rolled his eyes and honked obnoxiously before biting Gaius on his ankle. Gaius yelped and jumped up with surprising aerobatics considering his age.

Arthur covered his mouth, attempting to hide his snicker, before quickly turning it into a cough when Gaius gave him The Eyebrow. Gaius turned back around to Merlin and squinted.

“If you really are Merlin, which I’m not convinced you are, prove it to me. Do something only Merlin would do.” Gaius crossed his arms and sat back down at his work table, watching Merlin carefully. Merlin huffed and stared pointedly at him before letting his eyes turn to gold as he made burning heat crash over Gaius. 

“Okay, okay! I believe you.”

“The eyes are what really gives him away, don’t you think?” Arthur remarked cluelessly before walking forward to scoop Merlin back into his arms. “Well, now that you’re convinced, do you mind making it so I can converse with my manservant again?” Merlin took the opportunity to nuzzle his face back into Arthur’s neck and go back to sleep.

“Forgive me, sire, but I don’t think I can make a temporary mind link between you and Merlin at this moment. I will have to look through my library to find anything I can. Perhaps you can take Merlin with you somewhere else until I can find a suitable solution.”

Arthur sighed, stroking Merlin’s neck absentmindedly. “Of course, Gaius. Thank you for helping us. I will leave you to your research.” Arthur moved to leave before stopping in the doorway. He turned back to Gaius slowly one last time. “Before I go… I can’t stop thinking about what that sorceress said to my father. ‘Arthur will be lost to you unless you can learn to accept magic and show your people love and compassion.’ Do you think that could be the key to changing him back? Getting my father to accept magic?”

Gaius looked thoughtfully at Arthur for a moment, taking in Arthur’s hesitant expression and hopeful eyes. “It is possible, sire.”

Arthur nodded sadly and sighed. “I guess Merlin will be a goose forever, then. We’re going to need that mind link.”

Arthur walked into his chambers and set Merlin carefully onto his pillow as he prepared for training. Without Merlin to help him, getting into his chainmail and armor was a lot harder than he remembered. Arthur considered calling for George to help him, but one glance to the sleeping goose on his pillow made him rethink that decision. He could afford to be a little late for a training session.

Although, according to Gwaine, apparently he could not.

“Oi, princess! Being late is so un-ladylike. What will all your suitors think? And to bring some random goose with you! For shame!”

“Come now, Gwaine,” Percival spoke up, “The goose is obviously his magical adventuring companion. Every princess has one nowadays.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I trust that if you don’t want another couple hours added onto training today, you will cool it a little bit.” He carefully lifted Merlin from where he had been resting his neck on Arthur’s shoulder to hold him in front of his chest and scruffed his feathers to wake him up. “Come on, Merlin. You can’t just sleep all day. You still have a job, you know. Becoming a goose does not excuse you from your chores.”

“Aww. We knew you were besotted, Arthur, but I didn’t think you would go as far as to name a goose after him. Does Merlin even know about this goose that you’re trying to replace him with?” Gwaine teased, elbowing Percival’s side with a wink.

Merlin blinked slowly and ruffled his feathers, giving a dazed honk. After looking around to see the training field, Merlin turned his head towards Arthur to glare at him. Arthur smirked. “Would you rather attempt to spar with the knights as a goose, or sit on the sidelines watching in case someone gets hurt?” Merlin honked again and stretched his neck forward to bite Arthur on the nose. “Ow! I’m still the prince you know. You can’t treat me like this.”

“No, no. Arthur’s right,” Lancelot cut in, interrupting Gwaine’s giggles, “That’s definitely Merlin. I heard rumors from Gwen that someone had been turned into a goose last night, and I can tell you without a doubt. That is Merlin.”

Merlin jumped out of Arthur’s hands and waddled over to Lancelot, flapping to be picked up. With a sheepish smile to Arthur, Lancelot picked Merlin up and cradled him to his chest. Merlin turned his head to look at Arthur and honked smugly. Arthur glowered at him before turning to his knights.

“Alright! Training begins. We are continuing mace work today, so grab your weapons. Lancelot, take Merlin to Gwen and explain the situation. I don’t want him being a nuisance while we’re trying to train.” Merlin huffed and tried to bite Arthur again, but Lancelot held him back before making his way into the castle. He would just have to settle for an affronted honk.

Arthur sighed to himself as he turned to grab a mace and shield for himself. He couldn’t help but be at least a little worried about his manservant. Sure, he’s safe with Lancelot, and Gwen will take good care of him, but Arthur knew Merlin always found a way to get himself into trouble, and becoming a goose would only increase the chance of that. Hopefully, Gwen could make him behave.

“Okay, so I know Lancelot wouldn’t lie to me and Merlin gets into so much mischief already, but I’m just not convinced. I think you’re just some regular goose.” Gwen looked down at the goose in her arms while she walked to Morgana’s chambers. “I’m not sure how you’d even prove it to me if you were Merlin.”

Merlin huffed and scowled at Gwen, about to give her a piece of his mind, but then he heard one of the visiting nobles discussing the events of the council meeting from the night before.

“Uther’s boy, Arthur, needs to learn his place. What use is having a goose as a manservant? If it were me, I would’ve put that thing out of its misery. Uther should have been harder on him. If my son ever showed that much care to a mere servant, I would execute the boy to make a point. Good rulers should never show compassion towards their lessers.” The grimy old man sneered, puffing out his chest.

The two visiting nobles were pompously criticizing Arthur’s actions, and Merlin knew that if Arthur heard, he would internalize it. It would make him more insecure. What right did they have to challenge the decisions of the crown prince? Merlin wouldn’t stand for it.

Gwen tried to stifle a shriek as Merlin flapped his wings, jumping out of her arms. Loud slapping sounds echoed through the hallway as Merlin’s little goose feet charged forward.

“Lord Marticus, do you hear that slapping sound? How curious…”

Merlin pounced, letting out a deafening battle honk as he planted his feet on the old man’s back and sunk his tiny goose teeth into his balding head. The man cried out and swatted his hands above his head, hoping to land a hit. Lord Marticus fled, screaming, leaving the stout noble behind.

“Where are you going? Lord Marticus, help me with the damned bird!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Geraldimum, but whatever you did to provoke it is your problem. You can deal with it yourself!” Lord Marticus called over his shoulder, still high-tailing it down the corridor.

Gwen stood, shocked, for another moment before grabbing Merlin and pulling him away. That settles it. Merlin has turned into a goose. “I am _so_ sorry, Lord Geraldimum. My goose, uh, Eggbert, broke free from my grasp. This won’t happen again, sire. My deepest apologies,” Gwen said, hanging her head in deference.

“Right, yes… It won’t happen again,” Lord Geraldimum spoke slowly, brushing off his clothes and clutching the back of his head. “I should hope not! Keep your bird in line, young lady.”

Gwen nodded and scurried away with an affronted Merlin clutched tightly underneath her armpit. As soon as they were out of ear-shot, Gwen brought Merlin up to her face. “What were you thinking? If Lord Geraldimum* knew you were Prince Arthur’s manservant, and he complained, Uther would have you executed. You know he doesn’t think twice about these things. At least make trouble when Arthur is around to save you.” Merlin glared at her with his beady eyes. “N-not that you can’t save yourself! I’m sure you can, it’s just… Well, it’s just… Arthur has a lot more power than you. He’s probably the only person who could stop Uther from either executing or banishing you.” Merlin huffed and lowered his head to rest on Gwen’s shoulder.

She carried him up to Morgana’s room to get him away from any other trouble.

“Gwen, it is _lovely_ to see you!” Morgana started, looking Gwen up and down before giving her a soft smile. “Where have you been all d-” She stopped when her eyes landed on Merlin, but continued on a moment later, her shock barely noticeable. “This is Merlin, isn’t it? Can I hold him?”

Merlin hopped down from Gwen’s arms and waddled over to Morgana, giving her a content honk.

“Still a sweetheart as a goose? I’m not surprised.” Morgana knelt to pick Merlin up, smiling.

“I don’t know, my lady. You should have seen him with Lord Geraldimum. One passing comment about Arthur was all it took for Merlin to rip him to shreds.” Gwen grinned, shooting Morgana a wink. Merlin honked, turning his head away from Gwen to look at the wall. “Oh, Merlin. Don’t be that way. We all know how much you care about him.”

“Honestly, I think it’s sweet. It’s only fair that we can poke fun at you every now and again. Especially now that you can’t say anything back!” Morgana smirked. Merlin squirmed in Morgana’s arms, trying desperately to wiggle to safety. Gwen giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Morgana’s eyes widened and she blushed. In her temporary distraction, Merlin achieved freedom.

“Ooh! I have an idea. Merlin, can we make you some accessories? What if we gave you a miniature neckerchief to wear? Arthur told me to keep you out of trouble, so I can hardly go about my chores now. Morgana and I _are_ your babysitters until Arthur arrives…”

Merlin huffed and waddled to the center of Morgana’s room. He plopped down and tucked his head under his wing to take a nap while Morgana and Gwen sat on the floor around him, stitching and chatting.

A couple hours later, Arthur charged into the room.

“Is Merlin in here?” Arthur panted, his hand braced against the doorframe.

“Arthur, did you _sprint_ up here? He is perfectly safe in our company you know.” Morgana smirked, turning back to her stitching.

Arthur ignored her comment, choosing to sit on the floor and pull Merlin onto his lap. Merlin fluffed his feathers slightly and took his head out from under his wings to lean against Arthur’s stomach. “You know, I think we all deserve a rest. Don’t stop your mindless gossip on my account.”

Morgana rolled her eyes playfully and shifted so that she was lying with her head in Gwen’s lap. “We were just discussing what other clothes to give Merlin. Gwen’s making him a tiny neckerchief. Do you have any ideas?”

Arthur looked down at Merlin sleeping soundly against his stomach. “Maybe a sweater or a jacket? Or some little boots? That would be cute…” Merlin snuffled and nuzzled his face into Arthur’s stomach. Arthur let out a _very manly_ squeak, his face burning. When he looked up, Morgana was covering her mouth, her eyes sparkling with mirth while Gwen looked pointedly away, stifling her giggles. “Not a word of this to anyone,” Arthur sighed, defeated.

“How about I change the subject?” Gwen smiled. “Have you ever put on disguises and snuck around?”

Both Morgana and Arthur spoke at the same time. “Of course I have!” “Well, it’s not a very princely act, is it?” Arthur stared at his sister in shock while she just laughed.

“Seriously, Arthur? Never? You must lead a sad life on that high pedestal of yours,” Morgana said, reaching her hand out to pat Arthur’s ankle in mock seriousness. 

“I’ll have you know, that I _have_ snuck around! I just never wore a disguise. It’s not as if someone would stop the crown prince.” Arthur huffed and ceased his petting to cross his arms. Merlin snuffled and woke up. “Merlin was with me, of course. I think we were disobeying my father’s wishes…”

Merlin stretched out his wings before nuzzling Arthur’s arm and honking softly. Arthur picked him up and pulled him to his chest, resting his head against his heart.

“There’s a surprise,” Gwen laughed. “I think this time you’ll be better disguised. We wouldn’t want word getting to Uther about anything.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes while Merlin picked his head up to look at Gwen. “What do you mean _this time_?”

“Well, I’ve finished with Merlin’s neckerchief. We should at least show it off on a little stroll through the town!” Gwen paused for a moment. “Don’t you want to go out without having to always be aware of how you are being perceived?”

Arthur sighed. “When do we leave?”

Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, and Merlin moved their gathering into Arthur’s room to help him find a suitable disguise. Morgana and Gwen sat Arthur down on his bed with Merlin in his lap, before they started pulling out random clothes from his wardrobe.

“Hey, what are you doing? You can’t just go throwing my clothes around!” Arthur pouted, his eyebrows furrowed. Merlin honked in protest, flapping out of Arthur’s lap to pick up the clothes that were strewn across the floor and put them on Arthur’s bed.

Morgana ignores them, but Gwen throws a mildly sheepish look over her shoulder. With barely concealed giggles, Morgana spoke. “It’s no use. All of his clothes are too fancy. It’s like he’s never tried to be subtle in his life!”

“I’m right here! I can still hear you!”

Gwen nodded at Morgana with fake disappointment. “I suppose Merlin will just have to share some of his clothes with Arthur. It’s such a shame.”

Arthur felt his ears grow hot and he attempted to splutter out a response, flailing his arms around. “Wha- But Morgana! Gwen, there’s no way I’ll be able to fit! Merlin is much too skinny.” Merlin huffed and bit Arthur’s finger before honking at him. “What? It’s true!”

Morgana rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Merlin has some larger clothes that could fit you. If not, we could always find some way to fix them up.” Merlin jumped out of Arthur’s lap and flapped into Morgana’s arms. “Onwards!”

Morgana led the way, a considerable length in front of Arthur and Gwen. She snuck a quick look back at them for a moment before leaning into to whisper into Merlin’s ear. “When we get in, I’ll try to distract them. Do you think you can magic some of your clothes to fit Arthur?” Merlin gave an affirmative honk. “Great! We have to hurry, though. We don’t want Arthur or Gwen to see.”

By the time they arrived at Merlin’s room, Arthur and Gwen had been left in the dust. “Alright, make it quick. I’ll tell them to wait while you pick out your biggest clothes.”

Merlin nods and hops out of Morgana’s arms. His eyes glow gold while he levitates his most average clothes onto his bed, enlarging them as he went. If he was being honest, the idea of Arthur wearing his clothes made his tiny goose heart flip in his chest. A few moments later, Morgana walked back in with Gwen and Arthur in tow.

“Wow, Morgana, you really walk fast! Arthur and I could barely keep up.” Gwen laughed, moving to sit on the end of Merlin’s bed.

Morgana smiled, “Sorry, it’s in my nature.”

Arthur huffed and pushed past Morgana to pick up the clothes Merlin had laid out for him. “I seriously doubt this. I’m too muscular for his clothes.” Merlin honked loudly and waddled up to Arthur to bite his ankles. “Fine! I’ll put them on. You don’t have to bite me.”

After Arthur changed into the magically-enlarged clothes, he was embarrassed to see that they fit him perfectly. Morgana cackled while Gwen tried to hide a snicker by picking up Merlin and hiding her face in his feathers.

“Too muscular for his clothes, you said? It doesn’t seem that way to me,” Morgana teased, patting a red-faced Arthur on the back before sliding out the door. “To the town!” Gwen gave Arthur a small smile while Merlin honked smugly at him, then they both followed Morgana down the steps. Arthur huffed, muttering to himself while he tried to catch up.

Merlin didn’t think their disguises were all that good. Gwen looked fine, obviously; she was a commoner, so she already fit right into the bustle of the lower town. Morgana was more obvious, her clothes still being a bit too fancy, but it was clear that she had gone into the town disguised many times before. It’s always hard to take away that royal presence that came with being brought up by nobles. 

But Arthur… Arthur was not as subtle as he assumed. For starters, he was only wearing Merlin’s clothes. Simply wearing different clothes would not stop the people of Camelot from recognizing their crown prince. It’s not like Merlin could do anything about it now, though, so he decided to just sit back and watch the people politely pretend not to notice the crown prince of Camelot and the King’s ward walking around the town with a commoner and a clothed goose.

Arthur seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself and the fact that he “hasn’t been recognized”. Gwen keeps stifling her giggles every time she looks back to see him smiling so brightly. Merlin nudges Gwen’s face with his head before looking back at Arthur. Gwen nods, and Merlin flaps down to waddle up to Arthur. Without hesitating, Arthur picked Merlin up and held him close to his chest.

“See, Merlin. I told you this would work. The commoners don’t suspect a thing,” Arthur whispered with a big grin on his face. Merlin snorted and pressed his head over Arthur’s heart.

They walked for a while, checking out the stores and looking through the wares of the merchants. Eventually, something had to happen, though; with Merlin and Arthur around, something always did.

A wolf whistle. “Hey there, lass. What’s a pretty thing like you doing out in the streets looking positively indecent?” A man called, slapping Morgana’s butt as he walked past. Morgana jolted and turned to glower at the man who only laughed, elbowing his buddies. Gwen was glaring and Arthur had tensed, but it was Merlin who made the first move.

Seeing red, Merlin jumped from Arthur’s arms and flapped his wings wildly, flying towards the group of men. With screeches and honks, Merlin attacked. It didn’t take long for the man’s laughs to turn to screams. His buddies all ran, leaving the man to whack at Merlin with very little accuracy.

“Sorry! I’m sorry! Leave me alone…” The man wailed. Merlin was ruthless. He was fully content to leave this man with long-lasting bruises that would deter him from making another such comment again.

“That’s enough,” Morgana said calmly. Merlin immediately, albeit regretfully, detached his teeth from the man’s arm and waddled back to Arthur. She turned to the man slowly. “I assume you’ve learned your lesson. Now, leave us be.” With those words, the crowd that had begun to form dissipated, and the man was left whimpering on the pavement.

Arthur scooped Merlin up, and then the group was off on their adventure once again as if nothing had happened. After about 20 minutes of walking through the town, Gwen asked if she could take Merlin to look for herbs for Gaius and Audrey. Morgana agreed, telling Arthur that he would be joining her while she tried on clothes in a nearby shop.

Gwen took Merlin from Arthur’s arms and headed towards the merchant selling herbs while Morgana and Arthur headed in the opposite direction, playfully bickering. Once they were out of sight, Gwen leaned down to whisper to Merlin, “Okay, so I might have lied the tiniest bit. We really should pick up some herbs for Audrey, but I’m sure Gaius has plenty. I actually want you to help me pick out some jewelry for Morgana. I’ve been meaning to her a gift to show her how much I care about her for the _longest time_ , but I’ve been too busy. Do you think you can help me out?” Merlin honks and leans into her. “Great! I mean, I assume that was a yes. I don’t really speak goose.”

“Welcome to my shop! I have a wide variety of jewelry made from various valuable gems and jewels. What catches your eye?” The shopkeeper said, eyeing Gwen as she looked for the perfect gift. The other lady in the shop seemed to double-take at Merlin but otherwise paid them no mind while she browsed.

“I’m just looking at the moment, thank you,” Gwen said politely before looking down at Merlin. “What do you think? Would Morgana like a necklace or earrings more? Or maybe a bracelet?” At the mention of Morgana, the shopkeeper visibly straightened before adopting a shifty look on his face. Merlin huffed at Gwen and looked towards a dark green pendant sitting on the table closest to them. It looked like it was made from a [ smoothed geode crystal ](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/667252383239241738/715972541826727967/il_570xN.png) with the chain made from black wire-like string woven together. It was held to the [ wire by knots ](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/667252383239241738/715973048825806848/il_fullxfull.png?width=850&height=671) surrounding the edges of the crystal.

The lady that had been browsing picked up a necklace very similar to the one Merlin had just nodded towards and walked to the shopkeeper to pay. The shopkeeper smiled at her. “That will be ten silver, miss.” The lady paid happily and left the store, sparing one last glance to Merlin. Geese must attract more attention than he had previously realized.

“Wow, Merlin! This necklace is beautiful. I’m sure the Lady Morgana will love it. Thank you.” Gwen smiled and walked over to the shopkeeper.

“Good afternoon. What can I get for you?” The shopkeeper said. Gwen smiled at him and placed the necklace on the counter.

“Just this please,” She replied, ruffling Merlin’s feathers affectionately.

“That’ll be fifty silver.” The shopkeeper grinned and held out his hand. Gwen’s smile fell.

“Fifty silver? But the other lady bought the same necklace, and she only paid ten!”

“Well, a friend of Morgana’s should have more than fifty silver at least. Being royalty and all…”

Gwen sighed. “It’s fine. Maybe I can make her something instead.” She started to turn away before Merlin hopped out of her arms and snatched the pendant off the table and waddled as fast as he could away. “Merlin! Come back! What are you doing?”

The shopkeeper stood shocked, but by the time he had come back to his senses, Gwen and Merlin were long gone.

Deciding that he was done adventuring for the day, Gwen took Merlin to Arthur chambers to wait until Morgana and Arthur returned. “I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you for helping me with that shopkeeper.” Merlin honked softly.

It didn’t take long for Arthur to return, but as soon as he walked in, he flopped onto his bed face first. Merlin stood up from where he had curled onto Arthur’s pillow to sit on Arthur’s back.

“Ugh! Merlin, it was horrible! Morgana spent forever trying on dresses, and then it turned out she didn’t even plan on buying anything! She was only waiting until she could get a gift for Gwen. Why she needed me there, I will never know.” Merlin honked in surprise. Then, he nipped at Arthur’s back lightly and pushed him with his head. “Alright, alright. I’m moving. You’re so pushy.”

Arthur sat up, roughly pulling off his shirt with a little more difficulty than should be expected before flopping back down onto his bed and pulling the blankets over his shoulders. Merlin settled onto the pillow next to Arthur’s and they both fell fast asleep.

Unfortunately, Arthur managed to wake up before Merlin the next morning, and in that short time had come to the decision that a hunting trip with the knights was the best course of action they could take.

“Up and at ‘em! Come on, don’t make me pluck your feathers… I’ll do it; don’t think I won’t.” Arthur picked up Merlin and threw him up in the air over the bed. Merlin gave an offended honk in protest and chased Arthur around the room, honking and biting at his heels while Arthur laughed loudly and whacked pillows at him.

Eventually, through no fault of his own, Arthur was defeated, falling to the floor and relenting to the onslaught of bites at his ankles. “You have to promise me that we won’t start this again once I tell you the plan for today, okay?” Merlin nodded and moved to settle into Arthur’s lap. “We’re going hunting with the knights.”

Merlin stopped in the middle of making himself comfortable to make his best attempt at a glare. The idea was so revolting that he may have hissed just a little bit. Just a tiny itty bit. It’s just, Uther was all for Merlin being thrown to the woods to inevitably be killed for sport (whether by Arthur or otherwise), and Merlin, ever filled with treason, was not totally on board with the possibility of that happening for real. And also the other very real and very cute animals that they would also probably kill. So hunting was a no go.

“Eh, it’ll be fine. Plus, Gwen made you a little pouch thing so that you can still come on the hunts! She dropped it off this morning. Look, it’s even got little flowers on it. I know how much you like flowers…” Arthur stood up, scooping up Merlin with one arm before picking up the aforementioned pouch and showing it to Merlin.

Merlin huffed, which Arthur took as an affirmation, putting Merlin in the pouch, and then they were off, Arthur already dressed in his usual riding gear. The pouch was slung across Arthur’s chest like a satchel with Merlin positioned just above Arthur’s heart. Prime position for goose cuddles if Merlin was in the mood, and as much as it pained him, he was not.

They rode out into the forest, Gwaine cooing at Merlin while the other knights laughed. Little did they know, Merlin was hatching a plan. If he could stop the knights from killing any innocent animals, then they hunting trip would be a failure, and Merlin would get his revenge. He had assumed (one he had finally gotten used to being a goose) that Arthur wouldn’t be able to take him on hunting trips anymore. He had apparently underestimated how much Arthur loved hunting.

After a couple more minutes of riding, Arthur dismounted by a river and tied his horse to a tree. “This is where we will make camp after we’re done hunting. For now, let’s keep moving. We only have so much daylight, and I’d like to catch something today.” 

The knights tried to be as quiet as possible, Arthur leading the way, but every time a deer or rabbit got close, Merlin honked as loud as he could. Every time, the animals fled and the knights missed their shots (whether from Merlin scaring them or the animals running, they never admitted).

Eventually, Arthur got fed up, but he didn’t want to send Merlin back to the camp in case someone else tried to shoot him, so they stopped hunting.

“Nice job, Merlin,” Gwaine said, “Now we can’t eat tonight.” Merlin wriggled in the pouch until Arthur freed him, and he waddled over to the river. The knights simply looked on in bewilderment as Merlin shot his head into the water. One by one, Merlin plucked fish out of the river and set them on the ground next to him.

After collecting enough fish for everyone to eat, Merlin waddled over to the fire that Lancelot had set up and settled down with a fish for himself trapped in his beak.

“Oh… So I guess we can eat… Thanks, Merls!” Gwaine laughed and grabbed a couple fish from the pile. “Now, who wants to help Leon cook us a stew?”

Arthur sat next to Merlin in front of the fire while Leon and Gwaine argued over who would make the stew.

“I guess you still don’t like hunting then, huh?” Merlin turned to give Arthur a look before huffing and turning back to his fish. 

“I should’ve figured, but… well, I didn’t want to leave you back at the castle for the whole day. It’s much more fun having you here.” Arthur wasn’t really sure why he was so comfortable telling Merlin these things that he would normally keep locked away, but he figured that since Merlin didn’t look like himself, it was easier to detach the fact that it _was_ Merlin under all those feathers.

Merlin huffed and stood up to move onto Arthur’s lap. It wasn’t often that Arthur would talk about his feelings so openly, so Merlin decided to forgive him. He leaned his head onto Arthur’s chest and continued eating his fish. Arthur ran his fingers through Merlin’s feathers and relaxed, taking in the soft night.

“Look, I’m just saying! After Merlin, you are probably the only one with any real cooking experience,” Gwaine said, poking Leon in the chest.

“Yeah, and you’re the most responsible out of all of us,” Elyan added. “If anyone can make fish stew while also not starting a forest fire, it would be you.”

“It’s alright, Leon. I’ll help you. I’m not against a little cooking, but you might have to do a lot of the work.” Lancelot said, slapping Leon on the back before starting to prep the fish.

“I just want to know why I am the _only_ consideration! I’ll do it, but not because you guys are forcing me. I am doing this of my own accord.” Leon sighed, sitting down next to the pot to start cooking. The rest of the knights cackled, Gwaine elbowing Percival in the side and giving him a wink.

Arthur smiled while watching his knights banter. There really was nothing he liked more than hunting with his most trusted knights. It was at times like these that he really felt like he had friends (despite the fact that princes can’t actually have friends).

An hour passed with the knights chatting merrily and Arthur interrupting to make some jokes at Merlin’s expense. There were a couple bites and honks, but otherwise, Merlin couldn’t argue very well. He also never left the comfort of Arthur’s lap, so Arthur figured he couldn’t really be mad.

The next morning, they packed up camp and settled on their horses before starting the trek back to Camelot. Not surprisingly, they happened to be ambushed by a crew of bandits. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but Arthur and the knights still managed to be surprised.

Arthur took Merlin out of his pouch and set him on the ground. “Merlin, run!” Merlin looked back at him and honked angrily. “If you don’t run, then at least hide, you idiot!” Arthur yelled before unsheathing his sword and blocking a hit from the bandit in front of him. Merlin waddled off behind a tree quickly to strategize.

The knights had already assembled into a protective formation. They were on the defensive since the bandits had the advantage of surprise. Despite being distracted by watching Merlin in case he gets hurt, Arthur was still taking down multiple bandits at a time. There were more bandits then they had anticipated, though, so their formation got closer and closer as the bandits pushed them together.

Arthur snuck a look to where he had seen Merlin hide right as Merlin stepped out. His eyes glowed gold and several tree branches snapped above the bandits, knocking them out on their way down. Merlin had effectively incapacitated a little under half of the bandits without even a word (or honk, he supposed). Arthur stood, paralyzed, before pushing it to the back of his mind. 

Unfortunately, one of the bandits took advantage of Arthur’s brief moment of weakness and slashed at his arm. Arthur took pride in being Camelot’s best warrior, so he managed to dodge most of the blow, but the bandit had the added benefit of. Arthur’s eyes flicked back to Merlin just in time to see Merlin let out a murderous honk with his eyes fixed on Arthur’s attacker.

In a flash, Merlin was charging forwards, his wings flapping menacingly. Arthur’s eyes widened as Merlin landed, teeth sinking into the back of the man’s neck. Merlin looked up and honked at Arthur with what looked to be a glare and a roll of his eyes. Arthur shook his head and turned back to the fight, his eyes occasionally (read: often) straying back to watch Merlin. 

Arthur had never seen Merlin so _vicious_ before, though, so you can’t blame him for being a bit more distracted than usual. He could just _tell_ that Merlin was taking out more bandits than the rest of them _combined_. And he wasn’t even using magic for a lot of it! Arthur’s thoughts jolted for a second, but he pushed it all away again. It didn’t matter at the moment, after all. Once they returned to Camelot… Then Arthur could think about it.

It was clear that the bandits were starting to fear the merciless goose that was currently ripping at their own, so it was only inevitable that most of them would flee, screaming. They all stood there for a minute before Gwaine spoke up.

“Wow, Merlin. You really showed them, huh? No one messes with Arthur like that if you have anything to say about it.” He grinned and picked up Merlin to pinch his cheeks.

“How does it feel to have a goose as a protector, sire?” Elyan asked, slapping Arthur on the back as he after his horse that had fled from the fight.

“I can handle myself. I don’t need a protector, and I _especially_ don’t need _Mer_ lin as a protector!” Arthur huffed, stalking off to find Llamrei before she wandered off too far. He doesn’t need a sorcerer to protect him. Merlin honked from where Gwaine was holding him and wriggled out of his arms to waddle over to Arthur. “What is it, Merlin?”

Merlin flapped his wings and honked at Arthur. He looked like he was pouting, but that’s ridiculous. Geese don’t pout. Arthur just looked down at him and furrowed his brows.

“He wants you to pick him up, sire,” Lancelot said, throwing him a wink. Merlin flapped his wings again, his eyes twinkling. Arthur sighed and picked him up, setting him gently in the pouch. Arthur watched Merlin lean back onto his chest and felt his heart clench painfully. He frowned and went back to looking for Llamrei, forcing all thoughts out of his mind yet again.

They arrived back at Camelot just in time for dinner, where Arthur relayed the encounter with the bandits to the king, leaving out any mentions of Merlin. It wasn’t that he _wanted_ to lie to his father, it was just… Merlin didn’t know. With all Merlin has done for him, the least Arthur could do was _talk_ to him before he made a decision. He could hardly do any of that with Merlin as a goose, though.

While they rode back, Arthur had stayed silent, trying to cope with this new information. He had shut down. Then he overheard Gwaine talking to Percival about going to the tavern together. Taking advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself, Arthur had ridden up next to his knights and interrupted their conversation.

“Ah, the tavern, you say? Would you mind taking Merlin with you?” Arthur had glanced down at Merlin, asleep in his pouch. 

“I’m sure he’s been dying to hang out with someone other than me. We spent enough time together before this whole goose thing happened.”

Gwaine chuckled and said, “Are you really sure about that? He always wants you to pick him up instead of us most of the time. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a little more of your company…” Arthur had huffed and opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Percival cut in.

“If you’re positive, sire, it wouldn’t be any trouble for me and Gwaine to take Merlin with us. It might be fun. I know Gwaine will be excited to have a mischief buddy for once.” Percival smiled at Arthur before looking over at Gwaine and punching him in the shoulder playfully.

Arthur narrowed his eyebrows at Gwaine. “I suddenly feel less comfortable about putting him in your care, but you are complying with what I asked… Just don’t get Merlin into any real trouble. He can get into more than enough on his own.” Arthur sighed before pushing Llamrei to lead the way back to Camelot.

So Merlin was otherwise occupied for the rest of the evening, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts (of which there were more than expected). Firstly, sorcery. There was no doubt that Merlin had used magic against the bandits; Arthur had seen it with his own eyes! And sorcery was evil, wasn’t it? Therefore Merlin must be evil. Now another problem arose. Feelings. Arthur could admit that in the last couple of years, he had grown more than fond of his manservant. Some might even say besotted. He was probably being quite obvious about it if the knights were any indication. 

It was hardly his fault though! He and Merlin had been through a lot together. With the amount of time they spent in each other’s company, you couldn’t blame Arthur for falling in love. And that’s what it was. Love. He’d never been comfortable with the idea of love. Princes aren’t supposed to fall in love. Princes are supposed to marry to strengthen alliances. Marry for the kingdom. Then Merlin crawled into his heart and claimed it. Arthur could say with confidence that he was in love. But where did that leave him?

It was safe to say that the shock of seeing Merlin do magic had finally worn off, but with it came the fear that his father had instilled in him. Are his feelings for Merlin stopping him from seeing the evil that’s corrupted him? Could Merlin have been playing the long game this whole time? No. That’s ridiculous. Merlin was nothing if not loving. Anyone who met him could tell you that.

Arthur thought back to every adventure he had with Merlin, and his heart clenched. Every time something felt off, he had brushed it off in fear of uncovering something he wouldn’t like. He couldn’t brush it off this time, and it killed him. Merlin saved him day after day and didn’t expect anything in return. He was content to stay at Arthur’s side without getting any recognition. Arthur could never, in good conscience, kill Merlin after all he had done for Camelot. All he had done for _him_. Especially not while he remained a goose.

So Arthur had a choice to make. Lie to protect the man he loved from dying by his father’s unyielding hand, or tell his father that Merlin is a sorcerer and by extension, betray Merlin’s trust and lead him to his death. There was no question about it. Arthur deserved to be a little selfish for once.

Gwaine set Merlin down in a chair before signaling for the barmaid. “So, what do you say, Merlin? Want anything to eat?” Merlin gave an affirmative honk and settled into the chair for a night of third-wheeling and mischief. 

When the barmaid walked over, Gwaine sent Percival a wink before saying, “Two jugs of ale, please. Also, do you sell any pies?”

The barmaid nodded, writing down the order of ale. “Yes, sir. We’ve got meat pies.”

Gwaine grinned, clapping his hands together. “Wonderful! We’ll take two of your meat pies then.” He looked over the table at Merlin and then turned to Percival and raised his eyebrows suggestively. Percival went pink at the tips of his ears, but he smiled back at Gwaine, curious to see what Gwaine had planned. “Do you happen to have any vegetables?” 

“Well, we have some vegetables in the back that we use to cook… We don’t have any cooked vegetable plates or anything like that.” The barmaid said, casting a glance at Merlin out of the corner of her eye. 

Gwaine laughed, smiling impishly at Merlin. “No, no. They don’t need to be cooked. See, the vegetables are for my friend here. Is it possible for you to get a bowl of some peas and cut-up carrots in some water? I’m sure he would love that.” Merlin honked and glared at Gwaine.

The barmaid shook her head in astonishment before writing down the outlandish order. “Sure, I suppose I can do that. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, I think that’s it.” Gwaine looked over at Percival for confirmation, and when he nodded, the barmaid walked away to grab their drinks. “Soooo… Merlin. Tell us. What’s been going on with you?”

Percival slapped Gwaine lightly on the arm. “Come now, Gwaine. Don’t rile him up. It’s bad enough that he can’t banter with us like usual. You don’t have to taunt him about it too.” Merlin gave a short honk and nodded his head sharply in agreement. “That being said, Merlin. How do you feel without Arthur by your side? It’s gotta be kind of relaxing, right?”

Merlin sat silently for a few seconds before hanging his head and letting out a long, solemn honk.

“No, you’re right, Percival,” Gwaine said, shaking his head. “I think I can get the general idea, but this is no way to have a conversation.”

Percival laughed. “I guess we’ll have to do most of the talking tonight, huh?” He propped his head on his hand and gazed at Gwaine. “I think I could live with that.” Merlin gave an offended honk, but the knights just laughed.

A couple minutes later, the barmaid brought out their drinks along with Merlin’s bowl of vegetables, giving Merlin’s head a little pat before going back to grab the pies. Merlin watched Gwaine drain his mug of ale over and over again throughout the night (while Percival followed at a slower pace) before resolving to ignore them and eat his peas. Not being able to joke around with his friends anymore was really getting him down, so you couldn’t blame him for wallowing in his sorrows by eating a bowl of raw vegetables.

Unfortunately, when Merlin finally looked up from his unhappy munching, it was to mugs of booze being thrown across the tavern. By not paying attention to Gwaine and Percival, Merlin had found himself in the middle of a bar fight. It should have been expected at this point, but Merlin was nothing if not unrealistically optimistic.

“Don’t start throwing fists with me just because your companion is a crooked-nosed knave!” Some man yelled, spit flying out of his mouth with every word.

“Oh, you absolute gobermouch! You keep yer fat face out of our lives.” Gwaine threw his fist clumsily towards the man’s nose, but Percival caught his wrist just in time.

“Gwaine, it’s fine. I don’t want you to fight him. You could get hurt!” Percival pleaded, holding Gwaine by the shoulders and looking into his eyes.

“Yeah!” the nasty old coot taunted, “You’re a mandrake mymmerkin. I doubt you’d be able to land a hit!” Gwaine grit his teeth and tried to refrain from lashing out. Percival had no such reserves.

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU UGLY LOUT!” Percival marched up to the old man, pointing a finger in his face. “Don’t you take a single step closer to him!”

Merlin jumped up from his seat at the table and charged at the drunk man. He dropped his mug of ale in surprise, spilling the contents onto Merlin’s back. Merlin launched himself into the air, flinging drops of ale everywhere, and bit at the man’s head.

“Yeah, get ‘im, Merls!” Gwaine slurred drunkenly, sloshing his mug around with one arm around Percival’s shoulders.

“Make it quick, Merlin,” said an _infinitely_ less drunk Percival. “Arthur made us promise that we wouldn’t get you into any trouble.”

Merlin settled for a few more bites and a couple deep scratches across the man’s face before flapping over to the pair. Percival scooped Merlin into the arm not supporting Gwaine and attempted to get them back to the castle as quickly as possible. Obviously, it was much more difficult considering that Gwaine was _plastered_.

Eventually, they found themselves in front of the door to Arthur’s chambers. Percival took one look at Merlin (soaked to the bone in ale) and then at Gwaine (absolutely sloshed, as one would expect) and shivered. Arthur would _not_ be happy. One of the guards standing to the side of Arthur’s door patted Percival on the back solemnly.

Percival raised his fist and knocked on the door.

“Enter!”

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Arthur looked up from his dinner and promptly frowned. Merlin wriggled out of Percival’s arms and waddled over to the prince. Arthur swiftly picked Merlin up and set him in his lap before realizing that his hands came away sticky.

“Right… What happened?” Arthur turned an unimpressed eyebrow to his knights, ignoring the goose that was snuggling into his lap. Percival opened his mouth to respond until Gwaine cut him off.

“Merls was third-wheeling our date!” Gwaine yelled, flopping his head onto Percival’s shoulder. “And then! And then this old man was being _really mean_.” He pouted with his eyes scrunched while Percival ran his finger’s through Gwaine’s hair. Both Arthur and Percival waited for him to continue until Gwaine let out a loud snore and burrowed his face deeper into Percival’s neck.

“I think,” Percival turned his attention back to the prince, “what Gwaine was trying to say, my lord, is that a bar-fight started. Gwaine was already well on his way towards alcohol poisoning, so Merlin took it upon himself to step in. I decided to bring us back as quickly as possible.”

Arthur sighed, running his fingers through his hair (and immediately regretting it when his hands got stuck for a moment). “I can’t fault either of you for this. I admit… I did expect something to happen. Thank you for taking Merlin with you anyway. You are dismissed.”

Percival nodded and picked Gwaine up bridal-style to carry him out of Arthur’s chambers.

As soon as the door shut behind his knights, Arthur looked down at Merlin. “You need a bath. You stink more than Gwaine’s old socks.” Merlin honked indignantly and nipped at Arthur’s arm. Arthur tucked Merlin under his arm and stuck his head out his chamber door to ask for a bath to be drawn.

“Okay, Merlin. We have to get that disgusting ale smell out of your feathers. Why do I ever let you hang out with Gwaine? Next time, I’m coming with you…” Arthur ran his fingers through Merlin’s feathers and poured water down his back gently.

Merlin gave an amused honk and looked over his shoulder to shoot Arthur a smirk. Arthur huffed and rolled his eyes in response.

“No, I would not! And if I did, it would be because you and Gwaine riled me up. There is no way I could start something on my own.” Arthur glared down at Merlin, scrubbing him with the soap a bit more forcefully than necessary. 

Merlin’s eyes softened as he settled more comfortably into the bath. He honked again fondly, nudging Arthur’s arm with his head.

“Yes, I suppose it would be more fun with you there… Even if you _would_ be the one getting me in trouble.” Arthur rinsed Merlin thoroughly one last time before picking him up out of the water and wrapping him in a towel. “So, Merlin… How would you feel about that mind link?” 

Merlin looked up and honked confidently, looking Arthur in the eyes. Arthur nodded, patting Merlin’s head before making the trek down to Gaius’s chambers.

Raising his fist, Arthur knocked on the door before calling out, “Gaius! It’s Prince Arthur. I have Merlin with me.”

“Come in.”

Arthur pushed open the door and stepped into the room. He sat down at Gaius’s workbench, Merlin in his lap, and started explaining. “If it’s possible, I think we should do the mind link. Merlin and I can communicate well enough, but it’s not like I can hear exactly what he’s saying.” He stopped to cover the sides of Merlin’s head with his hands while Merlin honked, miffed. “Don’t tell Merlin I said this, but I kind of miss his witty remarks and taunts. It’s not the same with him like this.” Uncovering Merlin’s ears, Arthur ruffled his head feathers and smirked at him.

Gaius hid a tiny smile before turning seriously to Arthur. “I’ve told you before, sire. A mind link between you and Merlin would be _permanent_.” Gaius said this last word pointedly to Merlin, giving him a stare that left Arthur wondering. Did Gaius know? Is that why he was so against the idea?

“Gaius, I assure you that the idea doesn’t bother me too much. You never know, it might be nice to have Merlin babbling along in my head all day. That’s why I am making this _his_ decision. If he doesn’t like the idea of a permanent mind link, then we will find another way to communicate.” Arthur stared Gaius in the eyes, trying to convey his thoughts through only a look. Then, he looked down at Merlin and gave him a small smile.

Merlin looked at Arthur fondly before waddling up to Gaius. He honked seriously and nudged Gaius’s hand with his head.

“Okay, Merlin. If you’re sure. Arthur, could you grab those plants from over there?” While Arthur left to grab the herbs, Gaius mumbled the mind link spell over two vials of water. Arthur handed him the herbs, and he crushed them with the mortar and pestle before stirring them into the water. “Done. You will both need to drink the entire vial, and it might take a while before it takes effect. I hope this helps.”

“Thank you, Gaius. We’ll come back if we need anything else.” Arthur scooped Merlin back under his arm, the vials clutched in his hands, as they returned to his chambers. 

As soon as they walked through the door, he set Merlin on his pillow and helped him drink one of the potions. After taking the other one, Arthur walked around the room, silently cleaning up to stop his shaking hands. He almost didn’t want the potions to work if only to stop himself from exposing his heart in a moment of vulnerability.

Merlin watched Arthur from his place on the bed for a few minutes until suddenly, _“Stop cleaning and pay attention to me, clotpole. If you can even call it ‘cleaning’. It’s more like… ‘picking-things-up-then-putting-them-somewhere-else’. Maybe we should get Gwen to teach you.”_

Arthur whipped around to stare at a smirking Merlin before tentatively asking, _“So… it worked?”_

Merlin rolled his eyes. _“Well, yes, I would imagine so considering we aren’t speaking out loud.”_

Arthur sat down slowly on the edge of his bed and said, “Let’s get started then.” Merlin got up from his pillow and waddled over to the edge of the bed before plopping down next Arthur and leaning on his thigh. Keeping his eyes trained on the wall, Arthur spoke again, his voice deadpan and his face deliberately blank, “You’re a sorcerer.”

Merlin snapped his head up to look at Arthur. His face betrayed nothing, and he spared no glance towards Merlin’s reaction, but Merlin could tell that he was tense. From what, he couldn’t say. Starting to become frantic, Merlin stood up quickly and hopped off the bed.

Arthur hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut, not willing to watch Merlin walk out of his chambers forever without so much as a goodbye.

Pacing the floor, Merlin was having an internal crisis. How much did Arthur really know? Is he trying to get Merlin to confess just so he can have him executed? When did he find out? Why hasn’t he said anything until now?

The _slap, slap, slap_ of Merlin’s feet hadn’t gotten any more distant. In fact, it didn’t seem like it was going anywhere. Arthur looked up slowly, not sure what to expect. A goose pacing his floors really shouldn’t have been that surprising considering the last few days.

“What are you doing?” Arthur was starting to lose his carefully crafted mask, but he did his best to hold at least some air of authority.

Merlin turned sharply to face his prince. _“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m having a damn crisis, you prat!”_

Arthur crossed his arms over his chest and pulled the mask back on. “Why on earth are _you_ having a crisis? Surely you knew that you’re a sorcerer.”

Merlin huffed aggressively and went back to pacing. _“Of course I knew! I’m having a crisis over you!”_

“Me? Why over me?”

_“How about you answer my questions first? How long have you known? Why haven’t you said anything? When’s my execution? Does Uther already know?”_ With every question, Merlin took another step closer to Arthur.

Arthur had told himself that Merlin would never hurt him, but he could admit that Merlin was beginning to scare him. Arthur was trying desperately to keep the mask up, but it was cracking.

With Arthur’s terrified face staring down at him, Merlin halted. _“Are you really scared of me? After everything?”_

Arthur stood up suddenly, eyes stinging, and took a step towards Merlin. “Why shouldn’t I be? You could kill me without breaking a sweat. I’ve seen you do it before!”

Merlin stood his ground. _“Then kill me! Have me executed. Everyone knows that all sorcerers are evil, so I don’t deserve anything but the pyre.”_

Arthur’s face crumpled, and he dropped to the ground. “Don’t you understand?” he sobbed, “I can’t!”

Merlin instinctively took a few steps forward after seeing his prince in pain before shaking his head and stopping abruptly. _“What do you mean you can’t? I’m evil, aren’t I? It’s your duty.”_

“Because I love you!” Arthur snapped his mouth shut, eyes wide, before sighing heavily. “I can’t kill you because I’m in love with you…” Arthur dropped his head onto his knees and took a shuddering breath. Ignoring Merlin’s stares, he tried to calm himself and half-heartedly plaster his mask back together. He opened his mouth, hoping to make a joke at Merlin’s expense and save himself the humiliation, but Merlin interrupted him.

_“You… love me?”_ Merlin’s eyes had a hopeful glint as he took a few tentative steps forward.

Arthur leaned back, covering his face with his hands and groaned softly. “Unfortunately, yes. I do.” 

Silence. The pause stretched on unbearably until Arthur couldn’t take it anymore.

“I understand if you don’t feel the same. I am your prince, and as such, I have power over you. I would never want you to feel obligated to return my feelings. I am _not_ trying to force you into anything by confessing. You are my closest friend and I would never want to destroy our bond like this.”

Suddenly, Merlin was standing on Arthur’s knees, nosing at his fingers with his beak. Arthur slowly pulled his hands away from his eyes, staring back at Merlin cautiously. Merlin looked back at him fondly.

_“When have I ever treated you like a prince?”_ Merlin snuggled into Arthur’s neck comfortingly. _“You’re the most obnoxious person I’ve ever met. It is_ entirely _my fault for falling in love with you.”_

Arthur let out a wet chuckle and ran his hands through Merlin’s feathers, pressing him closer to his chest. “I can’t believe this is real. I feel like I’m dreaming.”

Merlin nipped lightly at Arthur’s ear. _“Just wait until I tell you about all the times I’ve saved your life. You’re going to wish you were dreaming.”_

Moving onto the bed, the prince and his manservant argued over their adventures for the rest of the evening, cuddled close and content. Eventually, Merlin yawned, nuzzling into Arthur’s chest.

“Come on, you should get some sleep. You had an adventurous day today.” Arthur set Merlin next to his pillow and tucked him under the blankets before dressing himself for bed. As he lay down to sleep, he pressed a tender kiss to Merlin’s forehead. “Goodnight, Merlin.”

When Merlin awoke, it was to a firm body pressed against his back and a strong arm wrapped around his _very naked_ and _very human_ chest. He’s human again? But how? Did Arthur do something to change him back? After having a mild freak out, Merlin rolled over to face his prince.

There was a sudden snort before Arthur pressed his face further into his pillow. Merlin smiled and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Arthur’s nose before snuggling closer. He had gotten used to the continuous hugs and cuddles that he had gotten as a goose, and he certainly wasn’t going to give them up now. Besides, human cuddles had to be infinitely better than goose hugs. Arthur let out a content snore, his arm tightening around Merlin’s waist as he pulled him impossibly closer. 

Merlin sighed happily and drifted back to sleep, safe in the arms of someone who loved him unconditionally. Safe in the arms of his soulmate.

Of course, he woke again a few hours later to a loud yelp before he was pulled off the bed in a tangle of blankets.

“Arthur!” Merlin whined, “I was so comfortable!”

“Yes well you’re also very _naked_ , so you can’t blame me for having a bit of a panic,” Arthur said, his head falling back to the ground. 

“Surely this isn’t the first time you’ve seen me naked,” Merlin said, tilting his head to the side with a small smirk.

“What do you mean? Of course this is the first time I’ve seen you naked! I’m not a pervert!”

“Oh… Well, I’ve seen _you_ naked _many_ times, and _I’m_ not a pervert,” Merlin says, grinning and nudging Arthur with his elbow. Arthur stared back at him, blinking slowly, lips pursed. Merlin pouted and flopped over Arthur’s chest. 

“How did you turn human again, anyway?” Arthur asked, running his fingers through his hair and staring up at the ceiling. “Did you do some magic to turn back? It can’t be a coincidence that you turned back after we talked… I’ve known for about a day and you didn’t turn back then.”

Merlin hummed into Arthur’s chest. “Maybe it was all part of the curse. That old lady did do a bit of monologuing before she cast the spell…”

“Of course! Do you remember what she said? Wasn’t it ‘unless you accept magic and show love and compassion’ or something like that? Maybe since I showed you acceptance and confessed my feelings, it reversed the curse!” Arthur grinned down at Merlin looking pretty proud of himself for figuring it out.

Merlin snorted. “Yeah, Arthur, I know. I just didn’t expect it to be you. I figured I’d be stuck as a goose forever if it was _Uther_ that had to accept magic.” He let out a comfortable sigh. “I’m glad it was you. Anyway, can we go back to bed now?”

“No, I don’t think so… I should really get to training, and you need to put some clothes on. Can’t have anyone walking in and seeing you like this, can we?” Arthur smirked, patting Merlin’s shoulder as he stood up.

Merlin grinned back at him from his place in the blankets, leaning on his elbow and winking. “Yeah, only you can see me like this, right?”

Arthur’s face turned bright red. His eyes darkened and his eyelids lidded before he shook his head quickly. “Stop trying to seduce me back to bed. I really need to get to training.” After looking around his room, he turned back to Merlin. “You should really clean this place up. It has gotten quite messy in your absence.”

Merlin huffed as he untangled himself from the blankets. His eyes turned gold for a moment before he was wearing some of Arthur’s clothes. He winked at Arthur’s blushing face and said, “I guess you should get going then, sire. I have a lot of work to do.”

Arthur walked over to the door but stopped before he opened it. “Can I have a kiss for luck?” He asked, giving Merlin his best puppy dog eyes.

“Come now, sire. We both know you don’t need any luck to train your knights,” Merlin said as he made Arthur’s bed. He turned to Arthur, and his resolve crumbled. “Oh, alright. I guess I can spare you a kiss.”

Merlin walked closer to Arthur and cupped his cheek. Smiling, Merlin leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Arthur’s lips. Unwilling to let Merlin get away that easily, Arthur put his hand on Merlin’s hip and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Merlin moaned softly before pulling away with a wide grin.

“I think you have more than enough luck to best even Gwaine in training. Go show them why you’re Albion’s greatest knight.” Merlin pressed another quick kiss to Arthur’s cheek before pushing him out the door. “Have fun!”

While Arthur walked down to the armory, Merlin used his magic to clean up Arthur’s room, leaving the laundry for himself. Watching the knights train from the window, Merlin did his chores with a smile on his face. He was finally right where he belonged. He and Arthur were going to bring magic back to Albion, he was certain of it.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun at Arthur’s expense. He hadn’t become any less of a nuisance when he turned back, after all.

Using their new mind link, Merlin screamed, _“Arthur, I’m getting naked in your bed!”_

Merlin giggled to himself as Arthur stumbled in the middle of a swing, his eyes wide and his face bright red, leaving Gwaine open to hit him to the ground. As Gwaine helped him up, Arthur looked side to side before turning to see Merlin waving down at him cheekily from the window.

“ _MER_ LIN!”


	2. art!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my lovely friend Roi drew some fan art for me! the full thing is on their tumblr, so make sure to check it out!
> 
> follow them at @18159_ on instagram, and 18159 on tumblr! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so so much roi!! your art is beautiful and it makes me so happy that you drew some for this fic!

check out the full thing at [https://18159.tumblr.com/](https://18159.tumblr.com/post/624456621912997888/someone-close-to-me-whos-extremely-talented-has)

**Author's Note:**

> gobermouch - an old Irish word for a nosy, prying person who likes to interfere in other people’s business  
> mandrake mymmerkin - little man, puppet, childlike  
> crooked-nosed knave - classless and ridiculous
> 
> i hope you all enjoyed! this was REALLY fun to write, so i hope it's just as fun to read
> 
> feel free to scream at me in the comments! <3
> 
> (the line break art is by @neurotell on instagram and tumblr)


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